


the girl from who knows where

by orphan_account



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Gen, implied past cloti, mention of slavery, minor aerti
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:09:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24083374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Do you know what they say? That out there, over there, in the wild wild west, there’s a land of boundless possibility, full of villains and heroes and great courageous confrontations in the heat of high noon.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart & Cloud Strife
Kudos: 3





	the girl from who knows where

**Author's Note:**

> _It’s too late to save me. Don’t you come my way, don’t pray for me ‘cause I saved myself. — invisible chains by lauren jauregui_
> 
> Thanks to [sanctum_c](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c) for betaing.

[MERCENARY: “I’m looking for someone.” Calm, collected, cool.

RANGER: Inspecting own gun. “Who?” Not really interested.

MERCENARY: Closes eyes, reflects. “This girl…”]

Do you know what they say? That out there, over there, in the wild wild west, there’s a land of boundless possibility, full of villains and heroes and great courageous confrontations in the heat of high noon.

That’s at least according to the dime novels. I’m not judging. We all need our fantasies.

So… um… let me tell you a story. Because for all their lies and exaggerations… the plain’s skies really are that endlessly blue.

And riding under those skies is a girl, a girl from who knows where.

[SHERIFF: “Hungry for the bounty on her head, aren’t ya? Or maybe it’s revenge?” Jokey. Prodding for reaction.

MERCENARY: Crosses arms. “Don’t confuse me with them.” Contemptuous. Affecting aloofness.]

That’s a common premise out in the frontier. I suppose it’s not that special. Anyways. That girl is a cowgirl, of course, with a horse and a gun and a sense of justice and everything else that makes a cowperson a cowperson.

Well, to clarify. A dime novel cowperson. I feel so silly, talking with you about that… um, anyways.

Anyways. She rides under the skies, exhilaratingly free, rounds up cattle and fends off monsters, you know, normal cowperson stuff. And I suppose she makes friends along the way, and  _ yes _ , she’s close to them, closer than anyone ever before.

Why do you think I got involved in what happened?

[MERCENARY: Reading newspaper. “…a group of abolitionists attacked a slave auction, severely injuring the governor’s son…”]

This isn’t how I wanted to be rescued.

[WITCH: Victorious. Relatively unscathed. Standing tall. “What do you want with her?” Almost spit out.

MERCENARY: Beaten. Bloody. On the ground. “I’m here to save her from you.” Defiant.

WITCH: Steps on his foot. “You’re just going to drag her back to her father!”]

…I think I skipped too far ahead there. Let’s try again. There’s this girl, fresh to the frontier, with only her horse and a stolen revolver, and somehow, miraculously, through the dint of sheer want, she manages to find a job. A cowgirl job.

And though her first weeks are rough and she almost gets fired twice, she learns, and she becomes good at it. She establishes a life for herself. She meets people, speaks with them and enjoys the quiet little moments on the road. Helps them and is helped by them. Eats Wedge’s grandma’s signature tarts. Listens to Jessie complaining about men. Watches Marlene for Barret.

…and yes, she made a deal with a witch, but in her defense that town would have suffered greatly from the bandits if she hadn’t. And Aerith was very nice! Even if the cowgirl only learned that part later.

[BOY: “I’m going to become a cowboy out west. I’m the best shot in town, even with my mom’s shitty old rifle. And then once I’m rich, I’ll build my own homestead, bigger than anyone here’s.”

GIRL: “Mm… that’s a good dream. I wish I could follow.” Kicks legs idly.

BOY: Startles. Briefly loses balance. “Elope!?”

GIRL: Blushes. “I—no! No, I just want to…” Looks to the west.

GIRL: “I just want to leave the town too.”]

I’m losing track of the point I want to make: that she’s happy now.

[COWGIRL: “We’ve changed so much since that night, haven’t we?” Uncertain. “You know, I still think of you sometimes.”

MERCENARY: “Oh. That’s nice.” Also anxious.

COWGIRL: Fidgets. “I don’t want to stop talking with you.”

MERCENARY: Nods. Stays silent for a few moments. “The stars are pretty.”

COWGIRL: Adjusts hat back. Looks up despite being inside. “They really are.”]


End file.
